1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording/regenerating apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting mechanism for ensuring mounting of a cartridge for housing a magnetic tape.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional magnetic recording/regenerating apparatus will be described with reference to a plan view shown in FIG. 19, a sectional view of FIG. 19 cut along the line 20A--20A shown in FIG. 20A, and a partial side view of FIG. 20A shown in FIG. 20B.
In the conventional magnetic recording/regenerating apparatus 21 (hereinafter referred to as the "apparatus 21"), a pair of rail-shaped guiding members 21b and 21c each having a ]-shaped groove are attached in a vertically opposite relationship toward the right side end in FIG. 19 to a base plate 21a provided on the bottom.
As shown in FIG. 20A, a pair of openings 21d are formed in a part of the base plate 21a corresponding to a position where the pair of guiding members 21b and 21c are located.
An insertion port 21e for inserting a cartridge 23 into the magnetic recording/regenerating apparatus by guiding a bottom plate 23c of the cartridge described later is formed at the right end of the magnetic recording/regenerating apparatus shown in FIG. 20A.
A pair of leaf springs 22 having a large elastic force with an end screw-fitted and the other end left free are arranged on the back where the guiding members 21b and 21c of the base plate 21a are located. An engagement section 22a is formed by folding at the tip of the free end of each of the leaf springs 22, and an engaging roller 22b is rotatably supported by the engagement section 22a.
The stopper roller 22b is positioned in an opening 21d of the base plate 21a and is movable vertically with one of the screw-fitting sections as a fulcrum within the opening 21d.
A cartridge 23 represented by a two-point chain line in FIG. 19 is inserted through the insertion port 21e, guided by the guiding members 21a and 21b, and mounted within the apparatus 21. In this cartridge 23, a magnetic tape 23a is housed, and a pair of ]-shaped guide grooves 23b are formed on the both outer sides as shown in FIG. 20B. The pair of guide grooves 23b are guided by the aforementioned rail-shaped guiding members 21b and 21c to guide the cartridge 23 into the apparatus 21.
A notch 23d is formed at a part of a base plate 23c composing the guide grooves 23b of the cartridge 23. A rotatable pinch roller 23f transferring the magnetic tape 23a to the right and to the left via a tape feeding belt 23g is provided in the cartridge 23 in the cartridge 23.
A magnetic head 24 and a transfer roller 25 are arranged in the apparatus 21.
The loading operation for loading the above-mentioned cartridge 23 onto the apparatus 21 comprises first a step of manually inserting the leading end of the cartridge 23 through the insertion port 21eof the apparatus 21 in the arrow D direction.
The leading end of the bottom plate 23c of the cartridge 23 hits the stopper roller 22b of the leaf spring 22.
When the cartridge 23 in this state is pushed into the apparatus by a stronger force, the base plate 23c of the cartridge 23 presses down the stopper roller 22b. As a result, the leaf spring 22 is deflected downward, and the stopper roller 22b comes into elastic contact with the lower side of the bottom plate 23c.
When the cartridge 23 is further into the interior of the apparatus 21, the roller 22b having been pushed down to the lower side of the base plate 23c is positioned at the notch 23d of the cartridge 23, and goes up under the effect of a large elastic force of the leaf spring 22 to the notch 23d. Then, as shown in FIG. 20A, the stopper roller 22b comes into elastic contact with an end of the notch 23d. The stopper roller 22b presses the end of the notch 23d diagonally upward in the arrow C direction. The cartridge 23 comes into contact with a stopper (not shown) in the apparatus 21 to step there, and is loaded in the apparatus 21.
At this point, the pinch roller 23f of the cartridge 23 is in pressure-contact with a transfer roller 25 in the apparatus 21 so as not to allow further incoming of the cartridge 23 into the apparatus 21.
When the transfer roller 25 rotates in the pressure-contact state of the pinch roller 23f and the transfer roller 25, the pinch roller 23f is rotated so as to permit transfer of the magnetic tape 23a to the right or to the left via the tape feeding belt 23g in the cartridge.
When the cartridge 23 is loaded in the apparatus 21, it is possible to record or regenerate prescribed information onto the magnetic tape 23a by means of the magnetic head 24 through rotation of the transfer roller 25 in response to an instruction from an external computer (not shown) or the like.
The ejecting operation of the cartridge 23 from the apparatus 21 comprises manually and strongly pulling the rear end 23e of the cartridge 23 projecting outside the apparatus 21 as shown in FIG. 19 in the arrow E direction. The stopper roller 22b escapes downward from the notch 23d of the cartridge 23, thereby permitting removal of the cartridge 23 from the apparatus 21.
In the conventional apparatus 21 as described above, however, in which engagement and disengagement of the cartridge 23 have been carried out manually, a considerable force (about 1.5 to 3 kgf) has been required for loading and unloading because of the large elastic force of the leaf spring, and it has been a hard work for a powerless person to carry out loading/unloading operation of the cartridge 23.
When one pushes the cartridge 23 into the apparatus 21 by force, the front side of the cartridge often hit a stopper (not shown) in the apparatus, and caused a flaw or breakage of the both.
If a smaller elastic force of the leaf spring 22 is used to facilitate loading/unloading of the cartridge 23, the holding force of the loaded cartridge 13 became insufficient, thus causing slippage of the pinch roller 23f in pressure-contact with the transfer roller 25. This has resulted in unstable feed of the magnetic tape 23a, and has made it impossible to accomplish accurate recording or regeneration.